Many prior art devices are known for manipulating the seat of a toilet without the need to use one's hands. Typically the issue is one of hygiene. Other factors, broader than for use with toilets include the desire to open a container's lid by foot-operated means, so as to enable both hands to be otherwise occupied, such as when carrying garbage. A foot-operated pedal which actuates a bar and a hinged lid is a common mechanism used with household garbage cans for example.
The range of art applied to toilets ranges from U.S. Pat. No. 1,616,509 to Rehn which, in 1924, taught use of a foot pedal, a push rod and a simple lever attached to a the hinge of a toilet seat. The hinge itself includes a coiled spring and hydraulic damper to control end-of-lift movement. More recently, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,496 to Blair, again a foot pedal and push rod are used with the addition of a pair of air-bellows which detect lowering of the seat and cause the toilet to flush.
One of the difficulties associated remote actuation of the toilet seat is the variability in the turning moment required to first lift a lid or seat from the horizontal (maximum) and when it is vertical (minimum or zero). As a result, devices which can overcome the lifting resistance of a horizontal lid, when lowered, tend to over-rotate or slam the lid when it approaches the vertical.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,329,240 to Bendon et al. discloses a toilet seat lifting mechanism incorporating a check stop and a seat position-sensitive resistance. A foot pedal is directly connected to a toilet seat. A lever is actuated to turn a seat pivoting shaft. Two cams are located on the shaft: a first eccentric cam which bears against a spring to variably restrict the shaft's movement dependent on its position; and a second cam which temporarily locks the seat in the lower position until the person's weight releases it enabling the spring-loaded seat to lift again. U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,745 to Melzassard discloses an embodiment of a toilet having a lever and profiled slotted cam-plate which enables the lid and seat to be raised as one and then independently lowered. Unlike Bendon, this cam-plate is profiled only to provide coupled lift and independent lower capabilities.
The above prior art references utilize fixed levers and push rod actuation, leaving little variation and flexibility in the means of actuation.
U.S. Design Patent to Jowett D384,138 utilizes a foot pedal and cable to actuate a toilet seat, the cable permitting variation in foot pedal placement but does permit seat-position sensitive actuation.
Despite the prevalence of prior art, applicants are not aware of apparatus which is simple in its operation, flexible in its interface with the user and yet permits lid position-sensitive actuation.